| “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” |
| —Ecclesiastes 4:12b |
As he looks back over his life, King Solomon continues to examine what life would be “under the sun” without the influence of, and a relationship with, God. Solomon spends a great deal of time reflecting on the way a person spends time. Thus, he places a strong focus on work, toil, or labor. Please notice what Solomon writes, as recorded in Ecclesiastes 4:7-12:
Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless—a miserable business!
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Solomon acknowledges the truth of what God Himself stated in Genesis 2:18:
“It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Humans need one another. That’s the way God created us. Because humans are made in God’s image—the Imago Dei—we need fellowship. We see this clearly in the Trinity—God the Three in One—where an interdependent relationship exists between the Son and the Holy Spirit and wherein both the Son and the Holy Spirit have an interdependent relationship with the Father. While our poor human brains cannot truly comprehend the mystery and majesty of the Trinity, we catch a glimpse of the nature of God as One who desires and depends upon relationships. In fact, as we are taught in the first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism:
WSC Q. 1: What is the chief end of man?
A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
So, God desires a relationship with humans. But, in our sin, we are unworthy to stand in His Presence. As a result, God chooses to cleanse us from our sins through the blood of His Son, Jesus, in order that we may become holy and have a ever-deepening fellowship/relationship with Him.
Likewise, humans need relationships with each other, in order to complete the work that God has given us in this world. As ambassadors of the Great King, Jesus, we need each other, so we can let our light shine before other humans that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
But, Please notice the last phrase of this passage of Scripture penned by King Solomon and recorded in Ecclesiastes 4:12b:
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
All through the previous verses, Solomon has been writing about two humans partnering together. So, from where does this third strand come? Why it comes from each of these two humans having a personal relationship with God.
In the midst of trying to describe life without God, Solomon finds himself drawn to the reality that genuine life cannot exist apart from a human having God in his or her life. That relationship between Creator and creature is critically important. And, more so, by the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we humans who experience these events personally become transformed from “creatures” to “children”—children of God (John 1:12).
As another new day begins, we can bow in a prayer of thanksgiving that God has called us to Himself as His dearly loved children. We share in His inheritance. We can move forward in this world knowing that “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
